<Header>
<Author: 李賀>
<Title: 春坊正字劍子歌>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1970>
<BookName: The Poems of Li Ho>
<Translator: J. D. Frodsham>
<TranslatedTitle: Song of the Sword of the Collator in the Spring Office>
<BookPage: 25-26>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 1, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
先輩匣中三尺水，
曾入吳潭斬龍子。
隙月斜明刮露寒，
練帶平鋪吹不起。
蛟胎皮老蒺藜刺，
鷿鵜淬花白鷴尾。
直是荊軻一片心，
莫教照見春坊字。
挼絲團金懸𦷪梘，
神光欲截藍田玉。
提出西方白帝驚，
嗷嗷鬼母秋郊哭。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
ELDER, within your casket glints Three feet of water, 
That once plunged into a lake in Wu To behead a dragon.
A slash of brightly slanting moonlight, Polished, cold dew. 
A sash of white satin, smooth and level, Unruffled by wind.
Its hilt of ancient shark-womb skin, Bristles with caltrops, 
Damasked blade, tempered with sea-bird's grease, A white pheasant's tail.
It is, in short, a sliver Of Ching K'o's heart.
May it never shine on the characters In the Spring Office!
Twisted sashes, whorls of gold. Hang from its hilt, 
Its magic beams can cut clean through A Blue-field jade.
The West's White King was struck with fear When it was drawn, 
His demon mother wailing loudly In the autumn wilds.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
ELDER, within your casket glints three feet of water, 
That once plunged into a lake in Wu to behead a dragon.
A slash of brightly slanting moonlight, polished, cold dew. 
A sash of white satin, smooth and level, unruffled by wind.
Its hilt of ancient shark-womb skin, bristles with caltrops, 
Damasked blade, tempered with sea-bird's grease, a white pheasant's tail.

It is, in short, a sliver of Ching K'o's heart.
May it never shine on the characters in the Spring Office!
Twisted sashes, whorls of gold. Hang from its hilt, 
Its magic beams can cut clean through a Blue-field jade.
The West's White King was struck with fear when it was drawn, 
His demon mother wailing loudly in the autumn wilds.
<End Formatted Translation>